Angels Whispers
by Lenle.G
Summary: The voices of Angels are dark things; they haunt the living, calling them, one by one, into the realm of the deceased. Naruto is chosen by the Angels of Life and Death. Can Sasuke help him? Reviews Please! xxx
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The voices of Angels are dark things; they haunt the living, calling them, one by one, into the realm of the deceased.

Putting an end to life.

Stopping.

The heartbeat.

Forever.

Death.

But never mine.

They'll never come for me again.

I can hear it, trapped in the central-city building-yard's sudden bustle.

Alone.

My hands are thickly coated with my own blood, a haze of lights flickering before my eyes, cloudy faces hovered before me – there mouths open in speech – but I could not hear them talk. I could I feel no pain. Yet I could hear they're muffled words calling to me.

The Angel's were whispering.

My eyes glazed over and I saw them.

The Angels.

My Angels.

The Angels of death.

My death.

Or my first one anyway...

One

It was Monday again. I **HATE** Mondays… doesn't everyone? Because it means SCHOOL – yes, in capital letters. Our school – Konoha High is probably the dreariest place on earth, grey walls, grey desks, grey floors, and grey doors, grey boards… even our teachers are going grey….

I dragged myself out of my bed, the duvets getting thin and I get splinters off the bare wooden frame where my dad ran out of strikingly orange paint – my favourite colour – but I just have to smile and put up with it because Mum's lost her job, and my Dad's gone. It's just tough luck really.

The mirror's cracked, it's one of those full-length ones, that has a stand - though ours is broken and it tends to sway when the wind blows in the smashed window that we haven't been able to repair. I tried wiping the dirt off the mirror with my grey school sweater once, but I just made it worse, so I had to give up. I sigh, the tanned-faced bit of Naruto Uzumaki I could see within the frame sighs with me.

I give the boy in the mirror an evil glare, the kind where you screw your eyes up, hunch your eyebrows and stare out the corner of your eye without blinking – I've perfected it to use against my friend Sasuke Uchiha, who could win the award for the worlds 'glare-e-ist-emo-of-doom'... If there is such a thing. My reflection glowers back at me; bright blond hair hanging limply in front of my eyes and sticking up in odd places on the top of my head for no good reason. It's getting a bit long and really needs a cut. I run a hand though it and blow the stray strands out of the way so I could see my sharp, blue eyes – Dads eyes. I'm annoyed to notice they have dark rigs around them from lack of sleep. I don't remember Dad ever having rings like that.

I turned away from the mirror, and tiptoed across the creaky floorboards, constantly running my hands through my tousled blond locks, as I did and trying in vain to tame the wayward strands.

I really HATE Monday mornings…

I had to tiptoe around my room so I don't wake Mum up - or she'll throw her _Stella Artois_ or _Guinness_ cans at me. I don't have time for breakfast or to pack a lunch, because I woke up late.

Still Sasuke might give me his_ Snickers _– I couldn't help but wonder…

I dragged my itchy grey school trousers on then tugged my mis-matched PJ top off over my head – it took a lot of effort, as it had become too small – before pulling on my white(ish) shirt then looping my stained grey school jumper over my head.

I slung my bag over my shoulder, slid down the banister, and threw myself through the front door.

At school I sit at the back of class – avoiding the way the eyes would land on the back of my head, and the hushed gossip I just know is about me from the way they look at me when they think I'm not looking - I used to get that all the time when I sat at the front.

I'd gotten used to the sympathetic faces over the years – the teachers, fellow pupils, the canteen staff, even Mr Henry who has a pet pit-bull we named Yoda (his real name Soda to go with his cat called Whisky – but the dog has pointy ears like Yoda from _Starwars_ so it stuck). I can't stand sympathy. That's why I push them all away – why I have practically no friends – why I'm alone… Because my Mum's a 'druggy' and my Dad isn't here no more… because they all feel so sorry for the small, sad child in the outsized clothes. I hate that. I hate them feeling sorry for me. And they all do… It's in the way they look. Their eyes.

That is… everyone but Sasuke Uchiha…

He's genuine – the only friend I've got… and not (for once) only with me through sympathy but for who I am. I really respect Sasuke. He means a lot to me. But… well… You see, he's the most popular boy in class, which really annoys me as all the stupid girls tend to swoon when he talks, or looks at them, or anything. He's really annoyingly good-looking, and always forgets his tie just so he looks cool and casual. His clothes are all clean white and nicely pressed, and he's got this clear pale skin, piercing black eyes, and straight dark hair that hangs softly round his face to frame it.

I look up and notice Sasuke has turned round in his seat and is smirking at me. He winks and holds out his _Snickers_ for me to take. I smile, and tell him it's his _Snickers_ so he should eat it – but he insists I have it.

His hand brushes mine and I feel a familiar sick-sensation in my stomach. My cheeks flush red and my breathing speeds up... he leans forward and whispered in my ear;

"Naruto, fire eating lessons? Tonight?"

I stared at him, wide eyed, I'd been begging the jerk for months to teach me fire eating, and…

"Yeah!" I grin and his smirk melts into a softer smile. I stare at him, heart pounding in my ears. I shiver.

"Sasuke Uchiha! Will you turn round and pay attention to the lesson instead of Mr Uzumaki!" – Our teacher Mr. Umino was glaring at us from over his desk. The girls in our class titter and bat their eyelashes at Sasuke; trying to get his attention, but Sasuke just stares at Mr. Umino calmly as the majority boys glare at him and Sasuke's mates, Kiba and Neji, laugh.

A slow smirk spreads like honey across Sasuke's face and I knew before he moved what he was about to do.

The one thing that REALLY annoys Mr. Umino.

He licked his lips, leaning to the side and tensing his body.

I ducked throwing my head into my hands. I knew what was coming... as did everyone else in the room. Mr. Umino shouts out a warning, but…

Sasuke opens his mouth shoots a tongue of blood-red flame into the air – causing the girls to scream and giggle and blush in the way I hate. But the fire is awesome, strong and red and fluttering. It's truly beautiful.

_Show off._ I can't help thinking; I roll my eyes obviously at him. _Complete show off._

Mr. Umino frowns sharply at the raven boy – apparently our teacher shares my view.

"Sasuke Uchiha stop showing off for the girls."

But Sasuke wasn't looking round to see if the girls were impressed – he was looking at me, and smiling.

I suddenly find a striking red blush right across my face, and I'm wondering how it got there.

_Stupid Uchiha._

**_..._**

**A.N. Hiya readers! This story idea was originally not a Fanfiction... but then I thought about how Cute Sasu and Naru would be together in it... and this is what I've ended up with. Point out any awfully bad mistakes for me will you? Thanks. Drop me a review if you like it! :D **


	2. Chapter 2

Two

"That was cool; what you did in class I mean." I grin up at him, trying to find something to talk about. I'd rambled on about the weather of all things for about ten minutes, embarrassingly enough. I couldn't believe I was walking home with Sasuke Uchiha – thee Sasuke Uchiha.

"Not really" He shrugged as if it was the sort of thing people just casually do every day, randomly shooting fire out into thin air. He was lucky he didn't set the sprinklers off again. Jerk. Though I suppose that is the sort of thing he does every day. Sasuke mentioned once that his parents used to run a circus somewhere, and he's learnt as a child how to fire eat.

"Sasuke…" I blushed and shut my mouth again.

"Naruto? What's up?" Sasuke took hold of my hand… MY hand… in SASUKE UCHIHA'S…

I felt my cheeks reddening to a deep crimson - like they had when he'd given the chocolate bar to me – the way our hands hand brushed for a fraction of a second – the way he ruffled my short, blond hair in the same care-free manner he'd always had, a soft smirk playing over his lips… I gasped suddenly then exhaled – realizing I had been holding my breath. Idiot.

"You want to start your Fireating lessons?" I nodded enthusiastically at this; but I had seemingly lost my voice…

I skidded to a halt under the hefty concrete works of the Great Naruto Bridge (I tutor the grandson of the guy who was in charge of the construction of the bridge). Sasuke jumped ahead a few paces and stuck out his tongue – it was fleshy and pink and I found my cheeks reddening until Sasuke was looking at boiled lobster boy. But he didn't seem to mind, he just smiled, the way he always did – making my heart pound even faster. Why was I feeling like this. _It's stupid. Silly really, to have a crush on a boy. Right? _I sigh. I can't help the way I feel, Sasuke's just so… amazing. But he wouldn't want to go out with Naruto the loser boy anyway. Not super-cool-Sasuke-bleedin'-Uchiha who every girl in the whole dam school wants to go out with. Stupid Naruto. _I don't have a chance. Right?_

The bridge above me creaked and strained with the weight of the last passing cars of the daytime rush – now there would be no-more as night progressed. No-one dares to go out at night, as the Yazuka, a gang of thugs, have been known to hang around after dark.

But Sasuke doesn't seem to care of notice the impending nightfall. He preps another flame, and happily lets it loose. The tongue of flame soars and sizzles into the burgundy air, and spreads its wings into the flickering shape of a phoenix.

Sasuke once told me each Fireater's flame is different; depending on the user, the flames color, shape and stature changes to form a different animal. Sasuke's true flame is a golden phoenix, like the one now soaring in the air. He says he'll teach me how to actually produce a flame next, I can't wait. I grin at the bird soaring though the sky, bright and beautiful against the setting sun and the wash of color in the sky.

"Stop showing off." I laugh and give him a gentle shove in the side with my elbow. Sasuke starts, jerked from concentrating on his phoenix, and loses his footing, my shove had been harder than I thought, and he staggers and fall sideways to land with a crunch in the hard packed dirt. His mouth fixed open in a chocked O of horror. His eyes wide. The phoenix tumbles as if in slow motion from the heavens in a mass of fiery feathers, out of Sasuke's control, and lands with a terrible crash in the centre of the empty bridge above me.

My eyes are wrenched from their contact with Sasuke's and I directly up in horror, mouth open in a silent scream until it felt like my lungs would burst as the whole lot came crashing down on my head.

…**.**

"Naruto!"

Sasuke scrabbled through the rubble of the broken bridge – calling his name… his eyes blind with shock as his hands were sliced by the jagged debris. He froze.

Blood.

Blood was seeping out from between the stones – _his blood_. Sasuke let out a howl like a wounded puppy – shocked by his own grief – as tears slid freely down his cheeks and he slumped to the ground. Horrible golden fires were burning slowly over the rubble. This was his fault. All his fault. Naruto was… was… and he'd cause it. Sasuke hadn't been concentrating. That's what his dad always used to say 'never loose concentration'. He knew the dangers. But Sasuke'd been showing off. Showing off, and Naruto, his dear, sweet, funny Naruto… had paid for that. With his life…

Oh god.

Naruto was…

There was so much blood.

God…

Sasuke closes his eyes and his body collapses in on its self. Then…

"Sasuke. Sasuke! SASUKE!"

The raven-haired boy looked up sharply at the sound of his voice… to where a rock was being slowly moved across the top of the pile of bloodied rubble. Sasuke stared at it in horror as something beyond it shoved the rock up and off its head, Sasuke's grief turned to sheer terror, cold sweat ran down his back, a hard lump formed in his throat; causing Sasuke to choke on his fear. A small blood-smeared hand pushed up the stone as a voice called him;

"Sasuke… Are you there, Sasuke? Can you hear me? Sasuke? Sasuke?"

That was Naruto's voice. He'd know it anywhere. Naruto...

The raven's eyes grew wide. No-one could survive that. No-one. But if Naruto was… Alive? After that...? After the whole bridge had… crashed down like that… but that was impossible? There was no way…?

A short blond figure gets unsteadily to its feet; clothes torn and bloodied… but… not a scratch on him.

I stare wide eyed. Unable to take the information in.

That was… impossible…

…

"You alright Sasuke?" I ask again, brushing dirt off my trousers, annoyed they were ripped. I'd have to find some thread to repair them or something. I inspect a flap of cloth. It's a bit too much damage to just repair, I sigh; I'll have to try to fix them up though. I look back at Sasuke, who's staring at me his eyes wide and afraid, like I'm some kind of freaky mutant monster from some old cheesy horror movie. But then I realize why; It must have looked like I'd come back from the dead… unharmed…

It suddenly struck me how bizarre a situation this was and, I, against all odds, began to laugh. The sound of it freaky against the silence of the impending night. Sasuke continues to stare up at me, his face pale and drawn; lips parted open in an O of surprise, shock and fear.

"N…N…aru…to?" He manages, trying to shake off the shock, and to piece together what on Earth just happened. I try to smile kindly at him, to make him worry less.

"Sasuke? Are you hurt?" I reach out a hand to pull him up. He blinks at my question like it's the stupidest on in the world then fixes his hands firmly on my shoulders, thumbs rubbing in circles to check I'm real.

"Bleeding hell, Naruto! That's my line!" His arms slide over my shoulders searching of injuries, finging none, his arms slips round my back and I'm pulled to his chest. He buries his face into the top of my blond spikes and his hand cups the back of my head, fingers urgently threading through the strands. He's hugging me. I blush. His arms tight and reassuring round me.

I notice he's trembling slightly, and I wrap my arms around his back to prove I'm still here. Still real. That I haven't left him. I realize in that moment exactly how much I care about him, and his tightly wrapped arms convay the same feeling straight back at me.

"Gods… Naruto… I…" he mumbles into the top of my head "What… what in heaven's name happened… Naruto? Naruto?" He gives my shoulder a little shake and I open my mouth to reply then shut it again; it's too bizarre to say really.

"Please Naruto." The trembling in his shoulders becomes more pronounced.

_Sasuke. Poor, poor Sasuke._

I took a deep breath.

"It's the Angels, Sasuke" I try to explain, but it just sounds weird "I heard the Angels a while ago, and now… now… it's like this." I gestured to myself. "Nothing can hurt me." I clarify. My eyes are stinging and I have to suppress the sudden desperate urge to cry. He's going to think I'm crazy…

He draws back, hands remaining firmly round me, to stare at me for a long moment.

"Angels?" he repeats, and presses a hand to my forehead, sighing. I could feel him shaking, taking deep breaths – trying to regain composure. He wrestles with it and his confusion for a few moments, before pushing it aside, and finally murmuring; "I'm so sorry, that was…"

"Not your fault at all." I finish for him, attempting a shaky smile "I did push you after all."

I blush deeply as he loosens his grip on me, hands still shaking on my shoulders.

"Naruto…" I looked into his eyes, calm deep shade of black, like the sky at night… he paused lost for words.

"I can't explain really, Sasuke, I've just been like this, ever since…" I trail off, struggling to find the words I don't want to have to tell him. I don't think I can, it's all too… complex… and terrifying. I have to take a deep, trembling breath to hold back the tears.

He presses a finger over my lips and smiles, his brows wrinkled up in concern.

"You don't have to if you don't want to… but one day… when you're ready…"

I hug him again.

"I'll tell you then, I promise."

…**..**

I was surprised when Sasuke took me round his house rather than home; leading me indoors after unlocking the door with his own key.

"Where're your parents?" He looks at me oddly, like I've grown an extra head.

"They died four years ago in a train crash, I live with my uncle." I stared at him and then turned crimson, I'd never known, never thought to ask… I stare at the floor. "It's all right, I just thought you knew." He told me and brushed a stray stand of hair from my face, smiling.

"Won't your uncle mind?" I asked as he took two cans of _Stella Artois_ from the fridge, he laughed, and tossed me one, I caught it.

"He doesn't get back until past midnight; I'll take you home before then... in the meantime... I'll teach you fireating if you want."

"Really!" he grinned at me.

"Sure."

Sasuke's bedroom was on the ground floor and painted in dark peeling blue, it was typically untidy and the curtains were still drawn, he kicked a pair of dirty socks under his bed and turned red.

"It's a bit…"

"It's great" I told him, flopping down on his bed, grinning, his bedspread was crumpled and the same dark blue as the walls, but it was thick and warm, and smelled of him. I took a deep breath hugged it to me. He flopped next to me.

He opened his can of Stella and put it to his lips. I watched him, his Adam's apple bobbing, for a moment, and then followed his example.

"Is this where you practice you fireating?" I asked him between sips and he laughed again.

"Too small" he told me "come on…"

He finished his can and tossed it in the bin, then unhooked a small key from his other key's and opened the door at the end of his bed, and led me into a bigger room.

"This is our garage."

They had no car inside (I later learnt that Sasuke's uncle had taken it to work), and the walls were painted plain white, the floor was made of smooth, un-splintered wood. I stood on it in my short school socks, and slipped. Sasuke steadied me and I looked down at his feet. Bare feet. He'd taken off his socks. I did the same and my feet looked tanned and bare poking out from under the remains of my trousers. The room was completely empty, save for an old brown sofa, and a broken TV set in one corner.

"I practice here, the walls are practically flameproof, probably won't catch fire." He grins nonchalantly.

"Practically?" I asked unsure, wondering if he's teasing me.

"Don't worry, the floors coated in sort of, flame-proof varnish stuff and there's metal behind that paint, not wood." He smiled and looped his arm around me.

"What do we do?"

"We warm up first" he told me.

And we did, it was like a sort of Yoga, he called it Tijutsu, it was like stretches and stuff. It was really relaxing and we moved together, though he had to help me out with the more complex moves.

Sasuke, as I soon found out, was surprisingly flexible. He could lie on his tummy and bend backwards so his feet touched his back then his shoulders, then his ears.

He lent me a pair of his shorts, they were a bit big and baggy on my skinny frame, but it saved me from having to wear my stiff, ripped school trousers. He tossed me one of his T-shirts too, as my school shirt and jumper was also ruined. His clothes practically drowned me, but they were warm and smelled of him. I snuggled into them. The T-shirt was big and navy and warm, and _Sasuke's_… I blush again.

Sasuke said we had to do the exercises so everything was lined up correctly in our bodies or something, so we could produce a proper flame, and to make it easier.

So I followed his instructions word for word, and found my body feeling strange. Sasuke said I'd get used to it when I asked, so I supposed he was right.

Sasuke had been a Fireater for the last eight years of his life, staring from a young age. He worked on his technique every day, and it was that day that I realized how truly amazing he was.

"Right" he told me. "Let's see your flame." I snapped out of my reverie and stared at him; upside-down; we were standing on our heads.

"Now?" I spluttered and lost my balance.

We stood facing the white wall; Sasuke showed me how to stand to make it easier, how to put my hands and how to call upon the fire. He said it was much easier to force a flame from your hands, rather than your mouth if you're a beginner like me.

I closed my eyes for concentration, feeling for the fire.

_There._

He told me I had to open my eyes and drive all my energy - he called it chakra - into my palms, forcing the flames out of my hands.

I tried.

I really did.

Nothing happened.

The walls stayed white and un-singed. No crimson flames. But I felt a strange, buzzing sensation, emanating from my palms it tingled, like...

"Wow! That's amazing Naruto!" - Apparently he could see something I couldn't.

"But nothing's…" I turned my palm hopelessly towards Sasuke.

"Yow!" I saw a ripple in the air; Sasuke dived to one side, clutching his arm.

I stared; Sasuke's left arm had rapidly growing burns developing on its pale surface, raw, red and shiny.

I suddenly felt exhausted, like I'd been for a long, hard sprint. The buzzing energy left me.

I threw myself down by his side.

"What...?" I reached out a hand to touch him, it froze halfway. His teeth were bared in pain, his eyes squeezed shut. "Sasuke…" he stood suddenly, and walked staggering to the door. He dashed past his bedroom, along the corridor, into the bathroom, flicked a switch and gasped as he stuck his arm under the cold shower.

My breathing was heavy as I followed him.

"Naruto" - I ran to his side - "top shelf of the cupboard above the sink, there's a roll of bandage, get it will you?"

I obeyed him instantly, grabbing the roll and handing it to him. He pulled his arm out from the stream of water, and placed the top of the bandage on it, then wound it round so the burns were covered. He flicked the shower off and slumped on the side of the bath, horribly paler than his usual white complexion.

I stood there helpless.

**...**

**A.N.: Hey! If Your liking it, drop me a review! Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

"What happened?" my voice came out squeaky, unreal. To my amazement, Sasuke smiled, awkwardly.

"You're incredible, for a beginner, Naruto. But did you have to turn it on me?" I blinked.

"Turn what on you?"

"Your flame silly" he knocked on the side of my head lightly.

"But I tried, I really did, just… nothing happened, I mean, I sorta felt all weird and stuff… but nothing actually happened … so I turned to you for advice and… I don't know what happened…"

"You couldn't see it?"

"See what?" I asked.

"The Angel" he replied, I stared at him "Your flame is a pure white Angel."

"So I couldn't see it against your white walls" I groaned realising my mistake "I burnt you" I looked at his arm, the bandage was turning crimson with his blood, he tucked it behind his back.

"This is nothing, I've done worse myself!" I tried a small smile; he was trying to cheer me up. "But your Angel… it was… like nothing I'd seen before."

"If the walls are white, how did you see it?" I asked him and he knocked my head again.

"It was at an angle, I saw a blurry outline… it was… surreal"

"Like a ghost" I leaned my head on his shoulder, holding back tears.

"Exactly" Sasuke told me "Angels... I... You've seen it before… haven't you?" He took my hand in his and continued "Naruto, earlier, at the bridge, you said something about Angels… what…?" this time it was me who put my fingers on his lips.

"I'll tell you" the words just felt right to me "but you must promise never to tell anyone… ever…"

"I promise" he said, without hesitation. I took a deep breath and began.

"The voices of Angels are dark things; they haunt the living, calling them, one by one, into the realm of the deceased. They put an end to life. Stop your heart forever." I murmured. "I remember walking home the long way from school, you know, the way so I don't have to walk past Yoda, Mr Henry's dog. It always barks at me, and truthfully I'm a bit scared of him. So I walked the long way, past the central-city building site."

"But Naruto! You know it's dangerous there, you could have been hurt…" I looked at my feet, and he fell silent.

"I knew the danger Sasuke, I was a fool, I practically ran past, but… I can still hear the groaning, the machinery failing, the crane dropping its load over the fence. Concrete blocks. I didn't have time to scream. I just looked up, and… they hit me" Sasuke slipped his good arm round my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. "I heard them, trapped in the mess. I remember looking at my hands, they were covered in blood. My vision was a haze of lights that flickered before my eyes, and there were cloudy faces hovered before me – there mouths open in speech – but I couldn't hear them talk. I could I feel no pain. Yet I could hear they're muffled words calling to me. The Angel's whispering.

I remember my eyes glazing over and seeing them. The Angels."

Sasuke touched my face, brushing away the damp tears.

"Naruto…" I shook my head.

"They were white, winged beasts, flowing, transparent, yet, alive… They reached their long tendril like fingernails out, and they scraped down the sides of my face. There was no sound. Silence. Nothing. Then… they spoke. Like… nothing I'd ever heard before… it wasn't sweet and kind, as storybook Angels are… it was… dark, crushing. All the pain came back to me as they were arguing, their voices rose from barely audible to a bloody crescendo of sound, of lives, of death.

Death was busy, they said, he had no time for me…" Mum never has time for me either…"I thought I was dead. I asked them. But they didn't seem to hear… until…

They told me they were giving me a gift, though what kind of gift I did not know… then they plunged into my body. I screamed and screamed. But my screams just echoed in my own head, mingling with the Angels screeching. Then I opened my eyes. Someone had pulled me out of the pile and was shaking my shoulders. I thought… this may sound silly but… it looked like… she looked like... like…"

"What Naruto?" Sasuke's eyes were deep with concern; he held my face between his cupped palms, so I had to look at him. He needn't have, I couldn't look away.

"My mother."

He frowned.

"But your mother's… you know… gone." I nodded, trembling.

"When I fully came to, there was no-one there. But I could have sworn I'd seen faces, the Angels, my mother. But… I was alone." I buried my face in his shoulder and sobbed. He held me, and stroked my hair.

"I don't understand… I got cut once when dad threw a broken bottle at me… the glass cut me right across me left eye… but it healed upright away… no pain… now… I can't die… Like when the bridge came crashing down on me. I can't die. I have to live… live... all alone…" I tried to stop crying, I really did, but found I couldn't. His t-shirt was getting soggy.

"Shush" he stoked my fluffy blond hair "Naruto, your never alone. Because from now on… you've got me, k?"

I looked up at Sasuke, good, strong, dependable Sasuke. He wiped my cheeks and smiled.

"You promise?" I asked in a small voice. He nodded.

"I promise."

And that was how it started, with his promise. He took me home at eight o'clock, and I crept past Mum, avoiding questions, and flung myself into bed. I cried myself to sleep.

I went to school as normal the next day. I sat, silently in class behind the unusually silent Sasuke. His arm was wreathed in bandages.

"What did your uncle say?" I asked him at lunch.

"I told him I'd burnt myself… I didn't tell him about you and your crazy fire angel…" he gave me a quick, one armed hug. He'd told the entire school he'd burnt himself, something he'd never been known to do since he was four years old. It must have shattered his super-mighty-Uchiha-pride to do so… The girls in our class all sucked up to him, fawning over his injury with puppy-dog eyes. I knew how bad Sasuke must feel as our teacher scorned him "everyone makes mistakes Sasuke" And I felt no-one made as many as me.

Sasuke didn't give me his _Snickers_ when I told him I had no lunch again. I soon found out this was because he hadn't got a _Snickers_… or anything come to that… He'd forgotten his lunch, he said he had 'other things on his mind'… I wondered if he was talking about what I'd told him.

The normally so lively and focused Sasuke, sat there, silent, staring into space.

I felt it was my fault all the more, and I felt worse and worse…

He walked me home again.

We went the long way avoiding the bridge and Yoda, taking a back alley to avoid the building site. It took us two hours to reach my house, when it should have taken fifteen minutes. I apologised over and over, but he said he like the walk.

I felt small, stupid, scared.

"Naruto?" his voice snapped me out of my rebuke.

We were at my doorstep.

"Thanks" I told him and turned to go in.

He grabbed hold of my arm - stopping me.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I stared at him.

"What? Why?" I immediately felt twice as stupid. He gently knocked my head again.

"To talk, silly."

"But…" I was about to say we could have talked on the way home, but I stopped, seeing the urgency in his eyes. I thought about the wreck our house was inside. Of my most likely-drunken Mother. I looked back at him. I was taking a risk.

"Fine" I told him, and I pushed the door open.

"It's not locked?" he asked surprised. I shook my head, it never was. We had nothing worth stealing.

I tiptoed over the threshold, pressing a finger to my lips.

"Don't step on that floorboard, it creaks" I whispered. He nimbly avoided it, questions in his eyes and followed me as I climbed the stair rail. We couldn't use the stairs because they're rotten through, groan when you even lightly step on them, and are liable to collapse. The whole house groaned as a chilling wind whipped though it. Sasuke shivered noticeably. We had no glass in the broken windows.

He stumbled on our stained pink-grey carpet of the landing, and I pulled him into my room. He stood in the doorway, and stared. I watched his eyes travel from my childish saggy bed with its thin stained duvet and limp pillow, where splinters peel off the bare wooden frame where the pearlescent orange paint runs out. Orange, He smiled slightly at this. Sasuke knew orange was my favourite colour. His eyes scanned across the room, hovering on the cracked mirror, the holy floor, and the broken, half boarded window. He frowned and his hands tensed into fists. I had a box where I kept my clothes and other worldly possessions (of which I had few) under my bed and the room was four times smaller than Sasuke's spacious one.

I hovered, uncertain of Sasuke's reaction.

He took my hand, and pulled me towards him. His arms slid round my back, and he held me to him, in a tight hug.

"Oh Naruto" he whispered in my ear. "I want to help you… but I don't know what to do…" My insides squirmed uncomfortably, my face reddened. "So I'll protect you… no matter what… I promise, I'll always be here… to protect you." He took a step away from me, also red, but his hands stayed firmly glued to my shoulders, his face determined. The floorboard creaked under his feet.

"Shhush" I hissed, the silence that followed was broken by a grunting noise. Lump, lump, the sound of the source of the grunting noise rolling over, a bottle smashed. An angry yell.

I clapped my hand over Sasuke's mouth, to stop him calling out too.

"NARUTO!" An example of the foulest language that couldn't possibly be repeated echoed down the hall. My Mum was awake. Sasuke's eyes grew wide, puzzled and shiny. Angry.

"OI NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL DID YA WAKE ME UP FER?"

I swallowed terrified. Mum and I used to get on, when Dad was alive. She used to come in to kiss me goodnight, and we'd have a special Mum-Naruto day once a week when we'd go out and eat pizza or play video games. And laugh. I hadn't laughed with her in years.

"Mum?" I called back "Sorry I woke you, I'll… be more careful…" Sasuke pulled himself angrily away from my restraining hand. He stumbled, the floor creaked more.

"You little…" Mum pounded on the wall "Shuddup!"

"I'm sorry!" I called, desperately. Mum was drunk again, she's foul when she's drunk, and she stinks of alcohol. I could hear her breaking another bottle, probably against the wall.

I could hear her staggering up the stairs.

Creak. Creak. Crunch.

Horribly drunk

"You wait! I'll teach you a lesson…" I froze… she was coming up here. I grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and pushed him under my bed.

It was a tight fit.

"Sorry." I muttered "Don't move… whatever she does…"

Sasuke nodded silently.

I hoped he understood.

My Mum flung the door open, it crashed into the wall beside it with the sickening sound of splintering wood. She stood wiry and thin, with features reminiscent of sunken corpse. Dark rings circling under dull, unfocused eyes. Her clothes were soiled, and she had a thick brown belt in one hand, a broken beer bottle in the other. Dad's belt. She stank of alcohol. Her greyed hair was lank and unwashed. She swayed where she stood, her arm resting on the door frame. She looked up, trying to focus on me.

"There you are brat…" She raised her arm, the belt above her head. She was going to hit me with it. Dad's belt. Sweet, kind Dad who would never...

I tried to dodge out of the way, but her drunken aim dodged with me, the metal spike of the belt catching above my eye, ripping across my skin in a hot red line. I crashed to the floor. She raised the bottle this time. It came crashing down on my defenceless legs, once, twice. Hot blood boiled from the wounds. I screamed.

"NO!" Sasuke roared, throwing himself out from under my saggy bed, and bulling into my Mum.

"NO!" I screamed trying to drag Sasuke away, back to safety.

"NO!" My Mum caught him under the chin with the belt, he was thrown aside. Mum turned on me "NO! HOW DARE YOU BRING _THAT_ INTO _MY_ HOUSE? YOU BLOODY…" She got no further. Teeth gritted in determination, Sasuke pulled me away from the belt's range. We fell back, his arms looped around me, he caught me. He slipped one hand across my back, under my arms, the other under my knees, and lifted me off the floor. He smiled down at me; I reached up, wide eyes and afraid, and touched the scraped wound on his jaw line, his blood covering my fingers. He bent towards me; I felt his breath on my face, his lips soft and warm as he kissed my forehead.

"FUCK YOU!" my Mum roared, lunging at us. Sasuke dived out of the way, with stunning reflexes. He set me down on the floor. I felt my body shaking. I looked up at Sasuke. He'd calmly got to his feet; He turned on his heel to face my Mum. He stood boldly in front of me, arms spread wide.

"You will not harm Naruto"

"Naruto?" Mum's voice dropped, she looked little and lost, perhaps she too was remembering the times we'd spent when I was little… before… A harm lump formed in my throat. I wanted badly to run to Mum, wrap her in my arms and cuddle her. To cry.

But I couldn't, not in front of Sasuke. My Mum lumbered towards me, like she used to, like my wonderful warm Mum who used to tickle me, hug me, and read me bedtime stories with Dad. I climbed to my feet; the wounds on my body and face were already fading, unsure whether to thank to the Angels or curse them and cry. My heart longed to run to her, to play, like we used to. To hug her hard. But this wasn't my warm kind mother. She was a different Mum. She was disgustingly drunk.

He shoved Sasuke in the chest, trying to get to me; Sasuke staggered back, knocking into me. I felt a breeze at my back as I fell, in slow motion, as I realised what the breeze was. I felt the flimsy boards at my back break. I was plummeting downward. Out of the broken window.

I hit the ground. Hard.

Blackness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"NARUTO!" Sasuke roared. The blond's Mum was already lumbering out of the room, muttering wide-eyed to herself, her hands in her limp hair. Sasuke dashed past her, down the mouldy stairs, that creaked heavily, several of the rotten boards breaking under the relentless battering. "NARUTO!" Sasuke dashed out into the street. His heart pounding. He came to a gate, a hefty padlock, preventing him from reaching the spot under my window. He froze as he read the fading yellow sign, marked with a skull and crossbones, that was hanging off the gate.

_Danger of Death._

"Naruto" Sasuke whimpered "Naruto…". He climbed up onto the top of the rubbish bin; it rocked unsteadily underneath him. He wobbled, clinging to the gate. He heaved on his forearms, pulling himself up, ignoring the probing barbed wire, and swung over the fence, into the Substation.

He was laid there. Still. Silent. Eyes closed. Hair strewn across his face. Limp.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke howled, staggering across the ground towards him. The door to the substation power unit was broken, the metal ends of the live wires glowed in the dim light, Naruto's hand resting inside the box. He'd been electrocuted.

Sasuke flung out his arms desperately towards her. His fingertips brushed her face. Thirty thousand vaults coursed though his body. He screamed. His heart stopped. He slumped to the floor.

Lifeless.

"SASUKE!" I sat bolt upright, gasping. What I saw chilled me to the bone.

The Angels.

Towering over me, cold and dark.

And he lay at my feet... perfectly still.

Not breathing.

"Sasuke!" I sobbed, cradled him in my arms. The Angels eyed me, though what they felt I couldn't tell, as no emotions came from them. They were just empty shells, carrying the soul of whatever beast lay within. I looked into their eyes. They were bland, dull, white, with no pupils, no shine. Like they were looking out the backs of their heads. The breath caught in my throat. I lay my head against Sasuke's chest, no heart beat.

He couldn't be gone.

He couldn't.

But he…

This was wrong.

"Give him back!" I let out a strangled sob.

And the world turned black.

Sasuke groaned. His eyes flickered open. He yelled. The three white apparitions leered at him. His heart beat faster in his chest. He forgot how to breathe. They were cloaked in white mist, bathed in light, moonlight from nowhere. It spread around their sightless eyes that surveyed him, in a hood, and flooded from their backs, in feathered… wings. Sasuke choked, air flooding his lungs… or was it air at all? One raised its long finger nails to brush his face, Sasuke pulled away. Its touch was like ice, freezing the blood in his veins. It laughed - high and cold. Sasuke, terror stuck, could hear their breath rattling in their skeletal bodies; he dragged himself away, but only seemed to get closer… Their sunken cheekbones were pallid and greying, they opened their mouths, dark sickening maws, with black jagged teeth. Sasuke's stomach convulsed, he slumped forward and emptied the contents onto the ground. What ground? It was like a thin layer of the same mist the Angels wore, it flowed into their robes. It was wrapping around him, his arms, legs… pulling him down. It snaked around his chest like an iron band, his vision span, darkness closed in. Naruto, his face floated just before his closed eyelids.

"Naruto" he muttered his named though the fog that forced its way into his nose and mouth. He forced his eyes open, wrenching himself upwards, struggling against the furious attacks of the fog.

"NARUTO!" he yelled, yanking his head clear "NARUTO!"

He lay not four feet from him. How could he be so stupid not to see her before? The mist was closing around him too. He struggled feebly, his eyes closed; breathing jagged, reaching out to something he couldn't attain, blond hair flopping across his face. His body suddenly fell limp.

New found strength flowed into Sasuke's limbs, he heaved himself bodily from the mist, his arm reached out; gripping his wrist as if he'd never let go. He tugged him towards him, struggling to keep above the mist.

"I… will… protect… you" he wrapped his arms around her willowy waist, pulling him to safety, away from the sucking mist, to firmer… _ground?_

Sasuke looked down him, resting against his chest, and he felt his heart leap in his chest. His eye lashes were long, blond and curled, resting on the closed lids that concealed the most startling shade of cerulean. His breath fluttered softly again his skin, and his hair was soft and light, it swirled around his head like a halo of light. His small frame curved in his arms, and his soft, tanned skin glowed in the pale light. He was…

"Beautiful".

But he'd always known that.

The three hooded figures rose up, like daemons from the mist. Inch-long nails raking for his face. They seemed to be laughing, high and cold.

Sasuke was chilled to the spine.

He looked down at Naruto again. His eyes were closed, his chest didn't rise and fall… his fingers found his wrist… no pulse… his heart had stopped. He was…

"NO!" he howled… he couldn't face it… "Take me instead" he lunged for the Angels. "Leave her alone, take my life instead." Cold tears poured down his cheeks, bitter and salty. He took his limp body in his arms, and stroked his face. The last of the lingering warmth was fading from his skin, leaving his body grey and col. Hopelessness overwhelmed Sasuke.

He lay him gently down, kissed his forehead and stood a determined look on his face.

"Take me" he told the Angels. They seemed to converse silently with each other then turned to him.

"_Why?"_ three voices, like nails being scraped down a chalk-board, rattled in Sasuke's head. He gasped, dropping back down to his knees, hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block the crescendo that was emanating from the beasts. Tears plopped through the mist.

"Because I love him" he whispered "because I can't live without him…"

Sasuke froze; the Angel's laughter pierced his soul.

"_What makes you think, he can live without you, boy?"_ Sasuke stared at them… then the world span… and faded away to blackness.

In the depths of his consciousness, he heard the voices of the angels, no longer harsh and piercing, but soft and clear…

"_This is our game, but your simple words have touched us… we will give you what you want…"_

A small, soft hand, slipped into his own.

"Naruto".

I floated in the dark depths of my consciousness. Soft voices reached me though the eternal mists of death.

"_We will give you what you want…"_

A strong powerful hand wrapped around mine.

"Sasuke"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I opened my eyes and groaned. Peering between my lashes, Sasuke's sturdy features swam into view.

"You ok?" I was sat in the crook of his arm, outside the door the sub-station. I snuggled closer to him, and smiled the smile I use just for him. He wrapped his arms around me and brushed his lips against my forehead.

"I never want to loose you again"

I had to lean heavily on Sasuke as we rounded the corner, and saw the flashing blue lights. A police car, with all sirens blazing, was parked in front of my house. A uniformed police man, had handcuffs on my Mum, and was ducking him into the car.

"Mum!" I yelled, breaking away from Sasuke's safe arms, stumbling and sprinting towards the car.

"Naruto!" Mum looked little, and lost, big fat tears running down her face "I'm so, so sorry Naruto" her voice broke under a wave of sadness; I longed to run and embrace her.

"Is this your son, Ms. Uzumaki?" the stern-faced cop turned to face me, I froze. Sasuke slipped his arm over my shoulder; I felt a rush of gratitude.

"Where are you taking my Mum?" the question sounded small and weak as it rolled off my tongue. A Police woman climbed out of the car, and stood next to her partner.

"Gee, Dave, you're scaring the poor kid" She chided him, then knelt down and smiled sickeningly at me "You ok sweetheart? Mummy's not been looking after you so well, so we're going to take her down to the station, you can come too, don't worry sweetie"

I really hate it when people treat me like a child; it really, really annoys me. Sasuke chucked his arm round my shoulders.

"Naruto's staying with me."

I looked up at him; his jaw was set in determination. I snuggled close to him realising, just how much my heart longed to simply be with Sasuke.

"I think it would be best if he stayed with his Mum…" The policewoman's sickening smile curled up at the corners in a sneer.

"Naruto, come here sweetheart" – Mum was calling me, a happy smile on her face, "We'll get this cleared up, and you can tell the nice police people how good I am to you, okay sweetie?" I frowned at her; he was talking to me like I was a baby, talking like the policewoman had.

"I want to stay with Sasuke" – my voice sounded small, I watched Mum's face crumple.

My heart ripped in two.

"Naruto! Get in the car." My Mum's voice was strained with anger, she struggled against the policemen trying to get to me; I was gripped by an insane sense of helplessness. I was scared. Sasuke placed himself in front of me, his arms spread wide like before. I clung to the back of his t-shirt, it smelled warm, safe, secure. I couldn't see my Mum, as the police bundled her into the car, handcuffed. Sasuke wrapped his arms protectively round me, as the policewoman approached us, leaving her companion in the car.

"Does he want to stay with your family for a while, at least until we have this sorted?" She asked Sasuke, he looked down at me and I nodded. He planted a small kiss on my brow. I felt braver.

"Yes" he said simply "he does."

And that was that.

Sasuke's uncle seemed happy to have me staying, he told me truthfully he'd always wanted a daughter, and after the death of his sister, Sasuke's mother, he'd missed having a woman around. After correcting him on the fact, that I was, in fact, a boy, the police sorted all the papers out, and came round to Sasuke's to check they had the correct facilities for looking after me. They also did a police check on Sasuke's uncle, who insists I call him 'Uncle Tim', they found him clean, and we've been living together as a proper family ever since. Uncle Tim is a wiry man with round glasses and sticky-up black hair in his early thirty's, the kind of person to wear hand-made sweaters from his mum when he's at home, and a smart suit during the day – a real _Clark Kent_. But Sasuke's my real hero, he's been wonderful to me, we practice fire eating together, though I haven't been able to produce more than a few sparks yet – my angel's gone.

I visit Mum in prison sometimes; it's scary and smells of sweat and… badness. My Mum looks so lonely, she's been loosing so much weight, and I hardly recognise her as my sweet kind mother anymore. More like a skeleton. The remains of someone I once knew. It makes me want to cry, but then Sasuke holds my hand, and Mum starts yelling at him for taking me away and swearing and… and... And I realise that my Mum doesn't love me anymore, and hasn't for a long time. Maybe one day she could again, and we could be a family, when she stops drinking, for Dad's sake at least. I hate it when he swears at Sasuke and Uncle Tim because none of this is Sasuke's fault, or Uncle Tim's.

Uncle Tim is really nice, he made me a bedroom from his old study (that he never uses now he's got a new one) and he painted the walls in a fantastic shade of orange that gradually darkens up to the black ceiling that Sasuke decorated with wonderful silver stars. I was bought a new bed with a posh metal frame – with a duvet to match my walls, and colour corresponding curtains. Uncle Tim also bought me some knew clothes; ones I'd specially selected with Sasuke from a shiny catalogue, and they were delivered by a posh lorry. I look totally different now, new school uniform, new clothes, I've even had a haircut, so it doesn't hang in my face, but it's still the same old Naruto, though now I have a smile affixed permanently to my face. Uncle Tim is always with us in the mornings, but he gets home really late, because of his well-paid office job, so this leaves the evenings free for just me and Sasuke. My fire eating has improved considerably during my lessons with Sasuke – he says I'm a natural. I've finally been able to produce a true flame of my own, and guess what; it's not a creepy white angel anymore.

It's a great red fire fox with nine whipping tails.

If there is one thing I've learnt, it's this;

The voices of Angels are dark things; they haunt the living, calling them, one by one, into the realm of the deceased.

Putting an end to life.

Stopping.

Your heartbeat.

Forever.

Death.

But never mine.

They'll never come for me again.

At least, Sasuke says, until I go to heaven.

The End.


End file.
